A known switch of this type, for example, as disclosed in US 2004/0245857, has a switching assembly and a drive adapted to actuate the switching assembly. The drive includes a plunger displaceable along a displacement direction and driven by a Thomson coil, e.g., a drive where a conducting member adjacent to a coil is subjected to a repulsive force upon application of a current pulse to the coil. The current pulse in the coil generates a varying magnetic flux, which in turn generates a current with opposite direction in the plunger. This generates a repulsive force between the coil and the plunger for driving the plunger away from the coil. This actuating principle is suitable to operate contact systems in electrical switches where extreme speed is called for.